Reilly and Fox top PLR, ELR charts

Wednesday, 29 May 2013 Books+Publishing

Books by Matthew Reilly and Mem Fox have topped the 2011-12 lists of the highest scoring titles in the Public Lending Rights (PLR) and Educational Lending Rights (ELR) schemes.

Reilly’s The Five Greatest Warriors (Pan Macmillan) was the highest scoring book on the PLR chart during the 2011-12 financial year, followed by Tomorrow, when the War Began by John Marsden (Pan) and Mao’s Last Dancer (Viking) by Li Cunxin. Four more of Reilly’s books also made it into the top 100 highest scoring books list.

Fox’s Possum Magic (Omnibus) has topped the ELR chart again, after also reaching the number one spot in 2009-10 and 2010-11. Eight more of Fox’s books made it into the top 100 list. Books by Morris Gleitzman also featured strongly in the top 10 books, with Two Weeks with the Queen (Pan), Misery Guts (Pan) and Boy Overboard (Puffin) all making it into the top 10. John Marsden’s Tomorrow, when the War Began also made an appearance in the top 10 ELR books, coming in at number four.

Bryce Courtenay remains at the top of the PLR’s 100 highest scoring books between 1974-75 and 2011-12, with Tommo & Hawk and The Potato Factory (both Penguin) in the top two positions, Courtenay’s books Jessica and Solomon’s Song (both Penguin) are also in the top 10 highest scoring books during this period.

Payments, claimants up in 2011-12
According to the PLR Committee’s annual report, a total of $9.237 was paid to 9030 claimants during 2011-12, up from $8.698 million that was distributed to 8940 claimants in 2010-11. Of the claimants to receive payments in 2011-12, 8658 were creators (4342 females and 4316 males) and 372 were publishers. In 2010-11, 8558 claimants were creators (4242 females and 4316 males) and 382 were publishers.

In 2011-12, the PLR rate of payment for creators was increased from $1.76 per book to $1.86 per book. The rate of payment for publishers was increased from 44 cents to 46.5 cents.

In the ELR scheme, $11.018 million was distributed to 11,163 claimants, of whom 10,753 were creators (5452 females and 5301 males) and 410 were publishers. This compares to $10.985 million which was distributed to 11,094 claimants, of whom 10,701 were creators (5411 females and 5290 males) and 393 were publishers, in 2010-11.

As previously reported by Books+Publishing, the Federal Government announced in August 2012 that work is underway on ‘modernising’ the PLR and ELR schemes. The Department of Arts is currently conducting an assessment of the schemes, which will look at the possible inclusion of ebooks, among other concerns. The government had previously indicated its support for changes to the schemes in its formal response to the recommendations made by the Book Industry Strategy Group in 2011.

To read the full 2011-12 annual report, click here.

Category: Library news